Feeding device.



G. W. MIX.

PBEDING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED .11.11.29, 1913.

1,071,941. Patented sept. 2, 1913.

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I I. if n I l I G. W. MIX.

PEEDING DEVICE.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN.29,1913.

1,071,941. Patented sept.2,1913.

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UNITED STATES GEORGE W. MIX, 0F BATAVIA, NEW YORK.

FEEDING- DEVICE.

`Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 2,1913.

Application filed January 29, 1913. Serial No. 744,922.

To all whom t may concern: j

Be it known that I, Geenen W. MIX, a citizen of the United States,residing at Batavia, in the county of yGenesee and State of New York,have invented new and useful Improvements in Feeding Devices, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to a` feeding device which is more particularlydesigned for feeding beans or the like from a source of supply toone ormore endless aprons upon which the beans are spread out and picked overby operatives for the purpose of separatin the beans of (food quality orlarge size fprom those of infaerior quality or small size.

It is the object of this invention to produce a feeding device for thispurpose which is simple and inexpensive in construction and which willreliably and uni formly feed the beans to the sorting apron withoutliability of clogging the machine and without consuming an undue amountof power.

In the accompanying drawings consisting of 2 sheets: Figure 1 is a sideelevation of my improved feeding device. Fig. 2 is an end elevationthereof. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section taken in line 3--3,Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section taken in line 4-4, Fig.3. Fig. 5 is a bottom plan View of the machine. Fig. (3 is a horizontalsection taken in line 6--6, Fig. 3 and looking downwardly. Fig. 7 is ahorizontal section taken in line 7 7, Fig. 3, looking upwardly.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughoutthe several views.

As shown in the drawings, my improved feeding device is organized forfeeding beans from a common source of supply to two sorting aprons 1, 1which are arranged on opposite sides of the feed device but it is to beunderstood that my invention is applicable to a feeding device of thischaracter which supplies beans to a single sort-ing apron as well as toa plurality of such aprons. In the preferred arrangement of thesesorting aprons the receiving turns thereof pass around receiving rollers2, 2 which are mounted on shafts 3, 3 and these rollers are turned inthe direction for moving the upper stretches of the sorting aprons inopposite directions away from the feeding device.

The feeding device is arranged between the two receiving rollers of theaprons and in its general organization the same comprises an uppersupply chamber 4 which communicates at its top with a supply tube orcollar 5 to which the beans are delivered from a source of supply by anysuitable means, and two delivery chambers G, G arranged on oppositesides of the lower part of the supply chamber. These chambers are madeup partly by two upright longitudinal side plates 7, 7 which form thelongitudinal side walls of these chambers, a horizontal top plate 8extending transversely across the upper edges of the side plates andconnected at its opposite longitudinal edges with the adjacent upperedges of the side plates and formed integrally with the supply tube 5, abottom plate 9 arranged transversely between the side plates and formingthe bottom of the supply chamber and the delivery chambers and alsoinclining from its central part laterally in opposite directions, andupright end plates 10 arranged transversely between the correspondinglower parts of the upright edges of the side plates so as to form theouter end walls of the delivery chambers and connected at their oppositeends with the respective side walls. Each of the end walls of thedelivery chambers is arranged at right angles to the adjacent inclinedportion of the bottom plate and projects part-ly above this bottom plateand partly below the same and is provided at its upper edge with alaterally projecting inclined delivery flange or guide lip 40 whichoverhangs the receiving portion of the adjacent sorting apron, as shownin Figs. 1 and 3.

The opposite transverse walls of the supply chamber are made up of twovertically movable gates 1l, 11 each of which is preferably constructedof a sheet of metal and guided at its opposite vertical edges inguideways 12 formed on the adjacent parts of the inner sides of the sideplates so that upon raising or lowering these gates more or less apassageway of varying capacity may be formed between the lower edge ofthe same and the bottom plate through which the beans may pass from thesupply chamber to the respective delivery chamber or these gates may belowered into engagement with said bottom plate, thereby permitting ofregulating the flow of beans from the supply chamber to the respectivedeverse spring adjusting rod 13 arranged,

along the outer side of the respective gate and passing with its centralpart throughuafy loop 14 formed centrally on the outer side of t-he gateand arranged at its rear end in an opening 15 formed in the adjacentedge portion ofv one of the side plates while its front end engages inone or another of a vertical row of notches 16 formed in the uprightedge ofv the adjacent edge of the other side plate. By arranging therear end of the adjusting rod 13 in the opening 15 of one of the sideplates, a fulcrum is formed for this rod which permits the frontendthereof to be raised or lowered together with'the gate connectedtherewith and by y' v ber past the underside of ythe .gateare vfreeengaging the free front end of this rod with one or the other notches 16the gate may be held in various adjusting positions according to theamount of opening orv area of passageway required to supply the desiredquantity of beans. By constructing the adjusting rod of spring materialits. front end is held Ayieldingly in engagement with the respectivenotch 16 with which it is interlocled. This construction of gate adjust-Y ing device is exceedingly simple. andinexpensive, the same can beleasily' operated and is not liable to get out of order.

The opposite transverse edges of the bottom plate are separated by anintervening slot, space or passageway 17 from the adjacent transverseouter walls of the delivery chambers, and in each of these openings orslots a feed plunger reciprocates vertically for the purpose ofintermittently lifting Va charge of beans or the like from the lowerpart .of the respective delivery chamber to a pointV above the upperedge of the adjacent end wall so asl to permit the beans. thus lifted bythe plunger to slide oil :from the latter and over the guide liange onto the companionsorting apron. Each of these plungers reciprocatesvertically in a path or line which is arranged parallel with theinclined end wall of the delivery chamber andV at" right angles to theadjacent inclined bottom portion of. the delivery chamber. Each lplungeris constructed of substantially L-shaped form in vertical cross sectionand comprises an'upper nearly horizontal lifting plate 18 arrangedparallel with the adjacent part of the bottom plate and an inner nearlyvertical cut-off plate 19' extending downwardly from the inner edge ofthe` lifting plate and arranged at right angles tothe latter or parallelwith the adjacent transverse end wall. The plunger may be'gui-ded in its`vertically reciprocating movement in any suitable manner but preferablyby en-l gagement of the outer edge of the lifting plate with' the innerside of the Vadjacent end wall and by engagement of the inner side ofthecut-olf plate with inclined guide ribs or flanges 2O arranged on theadjacentv .partsofthe side plates, as' showniny Figs. l 3 andy ,'Z.`Theplungers are held in proper engagement withthe guiding surfaces andprevented from tipping out of alinement by means of guide ribs 21arranged vertically on the outer side ofthe cut-off lplate and belowtherlifting plate and engaging their outer edges with the inner-side ofthe end Walls, as shown in Figs 3, 5 and 7. Y Y

In the lowermost position of each feeding :plunger the upper surface ofthe lifting `plate thereof is arranged Vflush withl -the adjacent partof the bottomv plate or sub"- stantially so,"as shown at the left handside 4 of Fig. 3,' in which position of 'this VVplunger thebeans'escaping from the supply chamto flow over the adjacent part of thebottom plate and upon the respective lifting plate and against the upperpart of theadjacent end wall. As the plunger is moved upstroke the uppersurface of the lifting plate is arranged flush, or substantially so,with the upper edge Aof the adjacent end wall, and during this movementthe beans resting on top of the lifting plate are raised out of thedelivery chamber and permitted to i spill over the guide lip or flangeonto the sorting apron while the beans in rear of the plunger arelheldbach by the cut-ofi plate thereof, this position of the plunger beingindicated at the right vhand side of F ig. 3. As the plunger againdescends into its lowermost position the beans in the de livery chamberagain flow over the upper end of the plunge-r preparatory to beinglifted by the latter over vthe adjacent end wall as before described. e5

Various means may be employed for -imparting a reciprocating movement tothe plungerslbut those shown in the drawings are preferred andconstructed as follows:

22,' 22 represent two rotary driving shafts arranged horizont-ally andtransversely in the lower' part of the machine but axially outof lin-ewith each other, these shafts Vbeing arranged below the respective vplungers and on opposite sides of the'longitudicenter of the side plates.One of Vthese shafts is journaled in a rhorizontal trans-- versebearing' Q3 arranged on the inner lower part of oneof the side platesand extending on the inner side ofthe lower part of the other side plateand extending from the respective side plate to the central part" ofV lwardly until it reachesthe upper'end of its j from the respective sideplate inwardly j the machine, so that these two bearings are pa 'allelwith each other but axially out of line and project inwardly in oppositedirections from the respective side plates. At its inner side each ofthe driving shafts is provided with a crank or arm 24; which carries awrist pin 25 at its outer end. 2G, QG represent two connecting rods eachof which is provided at its lower end with an eye 27 which is confinedon the wrist pin of one of the crank arms by means of a cotter pin 28while its upper end is provided with an eye 29 which is arranged in anotch or recess 30 in the lower edge of the cutoff plate of the adjacentplunger and engages with a horizontal pivot pin 31 aranged on thecut-off plate at one of the upright edges or walls of the said notch andproject-ing in the same direction as the wrist pin of the crank arm.These means of connecting the plunger-s with the crank arm areexceedingly simple and inexpensive, the same are not liable to becomederanged and can easily be assembled as well as dismembered forinspection or repairs inas much as each connecting rod when held on thewrist pin by the cotter pin is also confined upon the pivot pin of theplunger, as shown in Fig. 4.

Motion may be transmitted to the driving shaft and to the shafts of thesorting aprons in any suitable manner, for instance each driving shaftmay be provided with a pulley 32 which receives a belt 33 connected to aprime mover and each sorting apron shaft may be turned from thecompanion driving shaft by means of a belt 34 passing around pulleys 35,3G secured to the companion driving shaft and apron roller shaft, asshown for instance in Figs. 1, 2 and 5.

By providing a separate driving device for each feeding plunger andsorting apron the feeding of the beans to each of the sorting aprons maybe controlled or stopped altogether independently of the other feedingmeans and sorting apron, thereby permitting both of the feeding plungersand sorting aprons to be operated simultaneously and also permitting oneof the feeding plungers and sorting aprons to be stopped while the otherfeeding plunger and sorting apron continues to operate. This feedingdevice can therefore be readily adapted to the various conditions whichare encoimtered in actual practice to suit the speed or skill of theoperators who are sorting the beans or other material which is beingpicked over and to permit of temporarily stopping the sorting operationon one apron without interfering with this operation on the other apron.

Owing to the simplicity of the construction of this feeding device thesame can be produced at low cost and as the same contains no delicateparts there is little liability of getting the same out of order.Flu'thermore, all of the passages through which the beans pass in thisfeeding device are wide and not liable to become clogged with beans andwhenever it becomes necessary to change from picking beans to pickinganother like material this can be quickly and easily effected inasmuchas all parts of this feeding device are readily accessible for removingany beans or like material from the chambers before beginning thesorting of another material.

By providing each of the side plates of the supply and delivery chamberswith an in wardly projecting bearing for a driving shaft arranged on oneside of the longitudinal center of these plates these bearings and theshafts journaled in the same will not interfere with each other and italso renders it possible to easily assemble or dismember cach of theseshafts without interference with the other shaft, and it also permits ofmaking both of the side plates and their bearings froln the samepattern.

I claim as my invention:

A. feed device comprising a delivery chamber having two side walls, abetteln, and an outer end wall projecting above the bottom and separatedby au interveniner slot, a feed plunger reciprocating vertically in saidslot and having an upper lifting plate, an inner cut-oftl platedepemling from the inner edge of the lifting plate, and guide flangesarranged on the outer side of the cuto'tl' plate and underside of thelifting plate and engaging with the inner side of said end wall, andguide flanges arranged on said side walls and engaging with the innerside of said cut-ofi plate.

fitness my hand this 24th day of llanuary, 1913.

GEORGE lV. MIX. lVitnesses:

Janes C. Communes, S'rmvan'r lV. CUMMINGS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

